1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reversible ratcheting tool having a smaller head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide of variety of ratcheting tools have heretofore been disclosed, typical examples include: U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,462 to Kress issued on May 8, 1934; U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,720 to Shiel issued on May 11, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,062 to Colvin issued on May 6, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,033 to Chow issued on Aug. 9, 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,697 to Moetteli issued on Jun. 4, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,014 to Sandrick issued on Aug. 22, 1967; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,869 to Chow issued on Sep. 8, 1992. Most of the above-mentioned conventional ratcheting tools fail to provide high torque operation, as the pawls merely engage with the ratchet wheel by at best three or five teeth. The head of the ratcheting tool has to be relatively large for accommodating those components and thus is difficult to be used in a limited space. In addition, the pawl is directly driven by the switch button or reverser plate or like element such that the pawl tends to be disengaged from the ratchet wheel or like element if the switch block is inadvertently impinged.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,387 discloses a reversible ratcheting tool with a smaller head and improved driving torque to solve the above problems. The reversible ratcheting tool uses a spring for transmitting the switching force from the reversing plate to the pawl. However, the manufacture cost is high, the assembling procedure is complicated, and the risk of malfunction is high.
The present invention is intended to provide an improved design in this regard.